The Aftermath
by Cady James
Summary: A post-episode to February 22, 2012 episode "Hunting Ground." While Nick talks to his wife and a shrink, Olivia debriefs with David.
1. The Aftermath

Title: The Aftermath.

Author: Cady James.

Genre: Het.

Rating: PG-13.

Chapters: 1.

Categories: Drama, Romance.

Pairing: Olivia Benson and David Haden.

Characters: Olivia Benson, David Haden.

Summary: A post-episode to February 22, 2012 episode "Hunting Ground." While Nick talks to his wife and a shrink, Olivia debriefs with David.

Author Notes: This is my alternate ending to the episode. The producer and writer in me understand why they chose to end the episode with an Amaro scene instead of anyone else - including Olivia and David - because the episode opened with them. The fan in me (and my love for Mariska Hargitay and Olivia Benson) wanted an Olivia/David scene. Disclaimer: _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_ does not belong to me; neither do the characters. It all belongs to NBCUniversal and Dick Wolf, and one of the most amazing casts ever assembled on television.

Captain Donald Cragen had ordered Detective Nick Amaro to go see a shrink after experiencing his first kill as a member of the Special Victims squad. Detective Olivia Benson stood nearby and understood. She remembered her first time and how it affected her. Talking to a professional helped ease the realization that she had killed someone for the first time.

But she was thankful that Nick had done it. If he hadn't killed Graham "Brewster" Winger, Olivia probably would be dead right now. She had tried to talk to the guy, trying to get him to back off. There was no emotion, no care. He would've killed her without hesitation if Nick hadn't fired.

In that moment, Olivia realized how lucky she was to be alive, how much living life meant now, and a whole new respect for her new partner.

The Captain wanted her to see a shrink but she shrugged it off, telling him she'd do it tomorrow, then she excused herself for the night. When she stepped out of the building, she pulled out her cell and dialed a newly familiar number and waited until the caller answered.

"Hey, it's me. Are you busy?" she asked and smiled at the response. "Meet me at my place, okay. Bring food." Olivia listened as the person on the other end talked. "I want to talk and... I just want to see you." She paused for a response. "Okay, see you there." She hung up her phone and grabbed a cab for a ride.

When she got home, Olivia had enough time to lock up her gun, set her badge down, got undressed and into comfortable clothes, before there was a knock at her door. She checked the peephole and saw him. Her heart skipped a beat at just seeing him. Liv opened the door and let David Haden in. She secured the door and turned to him.

"Hi."

"Hi," he replied. "I brought dinner. No one familiar saw me... I don't think."

Olivia leaned in past the door in his arms and kissed him. "Good," she replied softly against his lips before stepping back. "I mean, not good that... it's good you brought food."

"Well, you asked, I answered." David turned to set the food on the counter and started rummaging through her cabinets for dishes and silverware. Olivia grabbed two wine glasses and a bottle of wine and headed for her sofa.

David set the food on the plates and brought it, the utensils, and napkins over to the couch while Olivia poured the wine into the glasses and set the bottle down on the coffee table. He set the food down and they sat on the sofa.

Liv stared at her plate of random Chinese food for a moment, pondering where to start. David was about to put a forkful of rice into his mouth when he noticed Liv just sitting there.

"What is it, Liv?"

"I, um... I could have died tonight. I mean, I put my life on the line all the time. You've seen it, but, tonight... this was different," she began and glanced up into his blue eyes, her warm brown eyes shimmering with tears. "There was no remorse, no feeling at all. He _was_ going to kill me. I knew it that split second before..." She choked back tears and looked forward at nothing but the images in her mind. "In that split second... and I heard a gun fire and my first thought was that he shot Haley, and then maybe he missed. Then I realized I was alive and... He wasn't.

David set his plate down and moved closer to Olivia. She was already sobbing when he took her plate away, set it down on the coffee table, and pulled her into his arms. David held and soothed her for a few minutes until she calmed down.

When she did, Liv sat up straight and wiped the remaining tears away. "Sorry. I don't usually react like this. I've nearly been killed many times before. I don't know why I'm falling apart now."

"You don't need to apology, babe. Maybe something was different this time."

"Yeah, those times I had Stabler. I'm not saying Amaro isn't, you know… He just saved my life. But, I think I've been off for a while. And tonight… I'm so grateful to Nick, and I realized how lucky I am to be alive," she explained.

"Well, thank God for Nick Amaro. What exactly happened?" David asked.

"We found Haley in this cabin, but Winger was nowhere to be found. So Nick and the others left to search for him. I stayed with Haley. Then I heard the gun cock and he was there behind me. I tried talking to him, trying to get him to back down, but he just talked about what he did and he had no remorse for it. He thought he was doing something right. I've heard it a thousand times before from suspects. But they were either under arrest, in custody, or I had my gun on me. He took both my Glock and my ankle gun when I went for that. And I didn't know where Amaro was or anyone else. Haley and I were alone and unarmed. He said I was just like all the women he'd taken."

"Where was Amaro?" David inquired, pulling her back against the couch, with his arm around her.

"As it turns out, in the crawlspace under the place. Winger had snuck in, without his dog, and snuck up on me. Amaro snuck under the cabin and waited for the perfect opportunity. I told him he should have fired before. I just sat there afterward until Amaro came in and had to get me out. I just shut down for a moment. I was sitting by an ambulance when I finally came back."

"What happened?"

"Amaro came around. I told him he should've fired earlier, and then I hugged him. I may not have Elliott Stabler anymore, but Nick Amaro is the next best thing. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," Liv finished explaining.

"Well, I say again, thank God for Nick Amaro," David answered and hugged her close. Olivia snuggled into his warm body. She never appreciated any man in her life before until David Haden. He treated her with respect and admiration. He loved that she was independent and let her be herself and knew she wasn't fragile. And yet, he comforted her when she needed and dealt with her vulnerability. He asked questions about her past, but if she didn't want to explain, he wouldn't push her until she was ready.

There were times when David reminded her of Elliott Stabler. In the ways he pursued things or talked to her. But David didn't have anger issues. He wasn't even violent in any way…

"Liv, penny for your thoughts?" he inquired, breaking her out of her reverie.

She snapped up and looked into his eyes. Another way he was different from Stabler. She could look at Stabler and feel only admiration and a sister-like feeling for him. Whenever Olivia looked David in the eyes, she felt like butterflies and desire, and unbelievably sexual attraction. Then, she realized she had to stop comparing Elliott with David. "Sorry, just thinking about something."

"Well, I'm hungry so let's eat."

"Okay." David picked up the remote and turned on her TV to a random channel, grabbed his plate and began eating. Liv smiled at him, thanking him for interrupting the quiet of her apartment, then she grabbed her plate and began eating her egg roll.


	2. We Have Tonight

Title: We Have Tonight.

Author: Cady James.

Genre: Het.

Rating: MATURE.

Chapters: 1.

Category: Romance.

Pairing: Olivia Benson and David Haden.

Characters: Olivia Benson, David Haden.

Summary: Chapter 2. What happens after their dinner.

Author Notes: Disclaimer: _Law & Order: Special Victims Unit_ does not belong to me; neither do the characters. They belong to NBCUniversal and Dick Wolf, and one of the most amazing casts ever assembled on television.

The containers of Chinese food that littered the counter had been either stored in the fridge or thrown out, the dishes were in the dishwasher and the TV was off. Olivia's stereo, rarely ever used, was playing a soft, romantic jazz number as the two slowly swayed, wrapped around each other.

It was nice and soothing for Olivia on many levels. After the night she had, it was a nice calm interlude; for the craziness that was her job, it was a way to just relax; and for the loneliness she had been so used to lately, it was great to spend an evening - even dancing - with someone who loved her beyond all reason.

She smiled against his shoulder at that word - Love. They'd only been dating for a little while and she was using that word? She didn't even know how he felt exactly. He doted on her, she knew that. But love?

"What are you thinking about now?" David whispered against her, disturbing the comfortable silence.

"Nothing, really. Why do you ask?"

"I know you. Plus, I can feel your body. When you were listening to the music, you felt relaxed. Then you weren't focused anymore."

Olivia moved back to look at him. "How can you tell?"

"People who are distracted move differently. I noticed I was kind of moving you, rather than you doing it on your own," he explained.

"You're observant… and strange," Liv pointed out.

"When it comes to you, yes. I love watching you and everything about you. So, now, come here," David coaxed her back to him.

She complied and put her head back on his shoulder. Then, backed up suddenly and looked at him. He had used that word - Love. "You said something…"

"What is it, Liv? What'd I say?"

"You said, you love watching me?"

"Yeah…?" He was curious what was going on. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Uh… you said the word 'love,'" Liv stated.

David stopped moving. "I didn't… It's not that I don't… I know it's early in our relationship to unleash that word and I know I'm falling for you every time I'm with you. And, I do love watching you and I love the way you are. Does it bother you?"

"No, of course not. I'm still trying to figure this out. I know my feelings for you are strong. I just… I'm not used to feeling this way so…," Liv said nervously.

"It's okay, Liv. When we're ready to say it, we'll say it. Okay?" he reassured her.

"Okay, okay," she replied softly and moved back to him. David smiled and, as he pulled her close, he nudged her hair aside and planted small kisses on her neck. Olivia giggled and tightened her hold on him.

"You like that, huh?" he inquired, separating from her for a moment.

She nodded and looked into his blue eyes. "Yes, I do," she said seductively.

David took that as an invite and moved to kiss her neck some more. She angled her neck to allow him more access. His kisses alternated with little nips and bites. They had stopped dancing by now as Olivia wrapped her arms around his waist and held on, moaning slightly at the way his kisses felt on her skin.

He moved his hands to roam over her shoulders, arms and back, setting Olivia's skin on fire and raising the temperature in the room. David moved his lips up to hers and passionately kissed her. Liv reached to where his shirt was tucked into his pants and pulled it out and began unbuttoning it.

"Should we start moving this into the bedroom?" David asked breathlessly and rested his forehead against hers and she worked up his shirt.

"Mmhmm," Liv answered, barely focused on anything but getting David's shirt off.

He smiled and began moving them in the direction of Olivia's bedroom. She had succeeded in getting his shirt off and tossed it to the floor and ran her hands over his chest. David moved his hands to the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her in her black cotton camisole and white lace bra that she had slipped on when she got home.

They stood in the threshhold of her bedroom. Liv stopped for a moment, remembering when she had gotten home, during the moment when she undressed, she had left the clothes she had taken off on her bed. She switched on the light and turned to David. "Hold on."

He stood there and waited while she put the clothes in a hamper just inside her bathroom. She then moved back to him. "Where were we?" he asked.

"Right here," Liv replied and reached up to fuse her lips to his. They moved closer to her bed and Liv reached for the waistband of his pants and tried to undo the button and zipper but David stopped her. She glanced up at him with a confused and hurt look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he assured her with a soft caress on her forearms. "Let's take this slow, okay?"

"Okay," she answered.

He reached for her waist and pulled her against him and tenderly touched his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they stood there making out for a bit before moving onto the bed.

Olivia moved to get comfortable as David moved on top of her, neither one of them separating from the other. They settled into a comfortable position and stayed there, just making out. It was nice and relaxing for both of them. Just a hint of sultry and desire and yet tender and soothing.

David started moving his lips down from her lips to her neck again. He slowly moved his hand down her body and to the waistband of the comfortably worn jeans she had put on. He undid the button and slowly pulled down the zipper. He lifted off of her for a moment to tug the pants down her long legs and tossed them aside, revealing her in her cami, bra, and black boyshorts that came with the cami.

He rested back down on her and continued kissing her neck, now adding his hands to roam over her body. She moaned at the feel of his lips on her neck again, and his fingers setting her skin on fire, again.

David moved off to the side of her body and started to lift the camisole up, until Liv stopped him. He separated his lips from her neck and looked at her. "What is it, Olivia?"

She held her shirt down. "You know, I'm a little self-conscious of my body."

"I've seen you naked, Liv. I've already seen your body," he pointed out.

"In the dark and in the shower, yeah, but my light is on and it makes me self-conscious," she replied.

David nodded and got up to shut off her light before returning to her bed. "Better?"

"I used to be skinnier; it's just, lately stress with personal things… it has affected my body. I'm okay with my body and accept it, but still…," she explained.

"Understood. It's okay, Liv. I've seen your body and I love it. You're perfect the way you are, no matter if you're skinnier or not; no one compares to you."

Liv smiled and kissed him. "You're not real, are you? This is all just a dream, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are the perfect man. No one's that perfect."

"I'm not perfect; I have flaws. So do you, but I love your flaws. No one is perfect, nor should they be. I don't want what's 'perfect.' I don't want a woman who looks like something out of 'The Stepford Wives,' and I don't want to be a so-called 'Stepford' husband. I'm just me and I want only you," David explained. "Just you, Liv. All of you."

She smiled and pulled him to her for a fierce kiss that set the bedroom on fire. He crawled back on top of her and, in the private darkness of the room, they shed the rest of their clothes and made love for hours.


	3. The Morning After

Title: The Morning After.

Author: Cady James.

Genre: Het.

Rating: MATURE.

Chapters: 1.

Categories: Drama, Romance.

Pairing: Olivia Benson and David Haden.

Characters: Olivia Benson, David Haden.

Summary: Chapter 3 of The Aftermath.

Author Notes: This story was not supposed to be chaptered, I changed my mind. Disclaimer: _Law and Order: Special Victims Unit_ does not belong to me; neither do the characters. They belong to NBCUniversal and Dick Wolf, and one of the most amazing casts ever assembled on television.

The sun shone through the curtains of Olivia Benson's bedroom and onto her bed where she slept spooned up against David Haden, under the covers of her white comforter. But, while David lay peacefully, holding his love close, Olivia had a frown on her place and her slumber was anything but peaceful.

Her mind was stuck inside that cabin. She was still staring down the other end of the gun. In her mind, Winger looked much more sinister than he was in person. He was a monster bent on killing her. She was begging him not to kill her. Liv looked over behind her, where Haley had been in the bed, but there was no Haley. She was all alone with a monster and no one was around to help her. She could barely see out the window and saw no one out there. No cops, no backup. Even staring down between the cracks in the floor, she didn't see Amaro.

Winger pulled the trigger and Olivia's eyes shot open, she realized it was a dream and she was safe and alive in her own bed in her own home… and with David's arms and scent safely surrounding her. Her heart stopped racing and she moved around to face him.

David had sensed her tense body and it woke him up. One look at her face and he knew she was having a bad dream. He was about to wake her when he saw her eyes fly open. David let her take a moment to be aware of her surroundings and was about to tell her she was okay when she turned to face him.

When she faced him, David pulled Olivia closer and secured his right arm around her. He lightly kissed her forehead and nose, before she angled her face up and touched her lips to his.

"Morning," she mumbled against him.

"Morning. Had a bad dream?" he inquired.

"No, why?" she lied and closed her eyes. She didn't want him to know how last night affected her.

"Liv, sweetie, I felt your body. You were tense and unhappy. You woke up suddenly like something startled you. "You were dreaming about it, weren't you?"

She smiled and opened her eyes. "You know me too well, David." She stopped smiling. "Yeah, I was dreaming about it. It was different than what really happened. Winger was more of a monster than human. Haley wasn't there and neither was any backup. I was alone with him and I was scared."

David cuddled her closer. "He's dead now. He's never going to get you."

"I know, I know. It just scared me. Sometimes this happens after cases like this. Give it a couple days and I'll be fine."

"You handle traumatic events _that_ well?" David asked, puzzled by her nonchalant attitude.

"I've been through enough real trauma in my life. This is nothing," Liv replied.

David moved slightly away and turned on his side to face her, propping his head up with his arm. "Like what?"

Olivia paused, and then mimicked his position. "What do you mean?"

"What trauma have you been through? I know you're private and you seem so guarded… even with me. You don't need to be. Please, let me in, Liv. Let me understand you," he pleaded.

Olivia stared at him, wondering how much to tell him or wondering if he should tell him at all. Her drunk abusive mother, her rapist father, her half-brother's troubles, her career ups and downs, her sexual assault, the nature of her relationship with her former partner, Calvin Arliss… the issues were endless. "So, where do you want me to start?"

"That much, huh?"

"Yeah."

"How about your childhood, your family?" he asked. "Fairly simple subject."

Liv made a sarcastic chuckle. "No, not really. My mother had issues… with alcohol. She liked to drink… a lot. It started when she was in college. She did stop when she was carrying me, but… that didn't last long. When she was sober, she was a great mother. But, when she drank - which was the majority of the time - she was abusive and she hated me. She alienated her own family so I never got to know my cousins or aunts and uncles."

"She didn't hate you, Liv."

Olivia moved to sit up, and wrapped the sheet around her naked body. "Yes, she did, David. She said it for years." She paused and decided since she was talking about her turbulent relationship with her mother, she might as well tell him why it was that way. "When she was in college, a man attacked and brutally raped her. She couldn't identify him and he was never found or charged. A couple months later, she found out she was pregnant. Seven months later, I was born. I was an everyday reminder of her rape. And, when she was drunk, she got mean. She called me a slut many times; she was more verbally abusive than physically. Although, she did hit me at times. When I was old enough, she told me why."

"I'm so sorry, Olivia," David said as he sat up.

"It's okay. I'm okay, now. When I was a teenager, I started dating one of her students in her class. She was an English professor. I was sixteen, he was much older. We were engaged at one point because I just wanted to escape. My mother, in a drunken state, came after me with a broken shard of glass. She didn't want me to be with anybody. When she came after me, I kicked her… hard. She landed across the room and I got scared and ran," Olivia continued and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I had never hurt my mother before…," she sniffled and dried her eyes. "The engagement and relationship ended shortly after that. And my relationship with my mother was up and down after that. I understood her more and understood why she was that way. I accepted her drinking problem and knew if I tried to get her help, it wouldn't have worked. She… died over a decade ago from falling down the subway stairs outside of a bar. She was drunk."

David moved his hand to her back and massaged her softly. He wanted to speak, but didn't. He let her explain things.

"I found out who my father was about five, six years ago. I ran my DNA through this system and it came up. His named was Joe Hollister. He was a food distributor for the college. When I finally found out who he was, he was already dead. He had a family that included my half-brother Simon. And, according to Simon and Joe's widow - who had Alzheimer's when I met her - mentioned in one of her moments of lucidity, that her husband used to keep track of me when I was growing up; even tried to contact me once. There have been a couple times where I wondered if it really was rape, or if it was a drunken mistake of my mother's. I only have my mother's perspective, so that's what I go on," she continued.

"When did he die?"

"Over a decade ago… suicide," she replied. "And my relationship with my brother is… complicated. When I first met him, he was suspected of raping women. He was set up, as it turns out, but still. And he jumped bail once. I haven't seen or heard from him in a long time. The only family I have, and I have no way of contacting him."

They sat there in silence as David let Olivia calm down. He took the time and let the information sink in his head. Her relationship with her family explained some things, but still not everything.

"So, tell me something else. Maybe about when you decided to become a cop," he suggested.

Olivia lightened up. "That's easy. Not long after my mom told me she was raped. I knew how it had affected her and everything around her, and the way she had treated me. That's when I knew I wanted to help people who are victims. I was in college and then I signed up for the police academy. When I was a uni I spent more time helping and talking to the victims. Taking and passing the detectives exam, didn't deter me from that so my superiors thought it would be a good idea to transfer to the SVU. I thought it would be great, too, and accepted. That was well over a decade ago."

"I know this is a stupid question, but have you ever thought about quitting?"

"Sometimes, but something keeps me going. I don't know what it is, but it's strong enough to keep me going. As long as there are victims, I'll be here helping them and putting away the bad guys. For me, I think the only way out of this job is failing health or being killed on the job," Olivia told him.

"Well, personally, I hope neither one of those happen anytime soon."

"Me, too. I realized that last night. After I nearly got killed, I realized that I'm so lucky to be alive. After all I've been through, I am so grateful to be here and alive."

"That makes two of us," David stated and reached over to kiss her. He then glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "I'd love to continue to talk and," he stole a glance at her naked backside and put a hand on her sheet-covered thigh, "stay here in bed with you, but we need to get ready for work."

Liv turned to look at her clock, turned and buried her head in her hands and groaned. "Why?"

"We could play hooky… Call in sick and spend all day right here…," David suggested and nipped his lips at her neck.

"Sounds perfect… but probably not a good idea. They'll know about us then. A coincidence that an SVU detective and the EADA happen to be off 'sick' or something at the same time? They won't buy it," Liv stated "We need to get out of bed now."

Both paused a moment before finally getting out of bed. Olivia wrapped her bed sheet around her body and went into the bathroom. David pulled on his shorts and a t-shirt and moved to the closed bathroom door. "Liv, I'll make breakfast while you're in there, okay?"

"Okay. You can have the shower when I'm done," she replied and turned the shower on. She wanted to take a shower with him but knew that was a bad idea. So, she dropped the sheet and put it in a hamper and stepped into the shower.

David wanted to be in that shower with her. They were so sexually attracted to each other that a shower together would cause both of them being late. So, he had resigned to making breakfast for them instead.

Over a half-hour later, Olivia finally came out of the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe and slightly damp hair. She dumped the bed sheet on the bed and began searching through her closet for an outfit to wear.

David came into the bedroom. "Breakfast is ready on the counter. Eat and enjoy," she said, stealing a kiss from her before heading into the bathroom and closing the door.

Liv smiled. He really was too perfect. As she scanned her closet for something to wear, she wondered what she had done in her life to deserve David. Between them, it was almost instant attraction. She remembered when she first met him in Cragen's office. She and Nick Amaro walked in because Cragen wanted them to meet someone. They came in and he turned around. Most of her feelings were of wariness. Somebody new that she really didn't want to deal with, nor did she trust. And yet, there was a small part of her, deep down, that made time stop for a second when she looked into his eyes.

This was a whole new feeling for her. When the pair had had drinks, she could feel something was happening. She knew she wanted to spend more time with him that night but he had to do the grand jury thing the next day and needed sleep. After the case was over, she had asked him to dinner and she had enjoyed every minute with him. Both of them had wanted more time but David had a meeting in the morning so they shared an intimate kiss goodnight.

He seemed to always show up somewhere unexpected. She go do a little shopping, at the little store down the street from her home, after work and he'd be there. Or a big case, that had nothing to do with the SVU, would appear on TV and she'd see his face.

When David had shown up at that lecture where she had spoken about rape and sexual assault, Olivia spotted him and her heart skipped a beat. She had to go back to work and it didn't really take a lot of convincing on his part to make her stay to listen to him.

After the hostage situation with her and Eddie Sandow had ended, David had met Liv outside of the apartment and she let him lead her out of the chaos. After that, she had agreed to go out with him.

They had dinner at the restaurant where they had first had drinks. It was quiet, private and romantic. He had driven her home and kissed her goodnight. A week and three dates later, they had decided to do something other than dinner and drinks. David had opted for a late-night walk in the park but that was too public for Olivia, so she decided on a movie.

He had waited at the theatre for her and they walked in together. It was nice. Only music filled the room and Liv noticed other couples starting to make out. David had leaned into her and whispered if that was giving her any ideas. She smiled but got nervous. He had to reassure her that it was dark and nobody they knew was there watching them. Liv decided it was okay and moved to get more comfortable and they had made out through much of the movie.

It was that night that they had decided to spend the night together for the first time. And the whole entire weekend. It was nice spending all day in bed with someone and waking up with someone in the morning. They had spent all Sunday inside, barely getting dressed and just watching TV and movies, reading the Sunday papers, eating breakfast in bed, letting music play and relaxing in silence. Then came another night and they spent it in hours of passion.

Sadly, it had ended early Monday morning when Liv's phone went off. Another crime to investigate. It took a little bit of effort for both of them to get out of bed and into the shower. That shower had made Olivia arrive a little late to the crime scene. They had gotten in the shower and decided it was an appropriate time to continue their passion. She had hoped Nick Amaro wouldn't notice anything different about her when she got the scene. Also sadly, that was not meant to be.

"Earth to Olivia Benson?" a voice called out. Liv broke out of her daydream and realized she was sitting, still in her robe, on her bed clutching a shirt in her hand and David was sitting next to her in a towel. She smiled up at him. "Now, where's your head?"

"Thinking about you; about us. I was thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life. And, our entire relationship so far," she explained.

"Like what?"

"Like, how I felt the first time we met in Cragen's office. Most of me didn't want you around. I didn't trust you. But, at the same time, I was so attracted to you. I've never felt like this before."

"I know what you mean. I walk in there to do a job and work with you guys on a case, like I have a thousand times before with other people, and then there was you. Initial feelings of distrust and then… something happened."

"We were made for each other, weren't we?" Liv asked.

"Dear God, I hope so," David answered in his sexy voice that she loved. She giggled and dropped the shirt and pulled him into a kiss that caused both of them to fall back on the bed.

Olivia hoped they would stay like this: happy and slightly in love. She knew she didn't want to break up with him… ever, if possible.

David felt as though this was the woman he had been waiting for. She was so different from his ex-wife and he knew he was falling for Olivia every single moment he was with her. This relationship had to work. Only time would tell.


	4. Special

Title: Special.

Author: Cady James.

Genre: Het.

Rating: ADULT.

Chapters: 1

Categories: Drama (just a touch), Romance.

Pairings: Olivia Benson and David Haden.

Characters: Olivia Benson, David Haden.

Summary: David gives Olivia a special dinner - just another step in wooing her.

Author Notes: I figured I was done with the story and ending with chapter 3, but I realized there's more to talk about than what was discussed in chapter 3. Little Note: We know nothing about David's life or his past, except that his uncle was a DA and he's divorced with two kids who live with their mother. And, until or if they bring him back or talk more about him in Season 14, I am now making up stuff. Disclaimer: _Law & Order: Special Victims Unit_ does not belong to me; neither do the characters. They belong to NBCUniversal and Dick Wolf, and one of the most amazing casts ever assembled on television.

Olivia Benson had gone into work and actually got there on time despite spending some time reigniting the passion with David in her bed. Ever since they started sleeping together, she just couldn't help but be attracted to him every single moment. Passion was inevitable.

The two of them decided to have dinner together that night, unless something work-related came up. Even though they had spent nearly every non-working moment together recently, Olivia couldn't wait until their dinner. David said he wanted to continue talking some more, which probably meant more emotions; but she was looking forward to it.

To her, it seemed that the more David learned about her, the more he understood her and loved her. And, she had to admit it herself, that she falling for him even more and wanted to spend tonight talking to him and asking him about his life and his past.

Liv had given him the keys to her place so he could get out of work early enough to prepare a nice meal for them. He told her he wanted to make it nice and romantic.

David had decided to create a special night for them with candles and dinner and music and rose petals. He didn't want it to be cheesy or mushy because he knew Liv was girly, but not that girly. He decided that it wouldn't be takeout but an actually cooked dinner that he had to purchase from the story and make mostly from scratch. Given that Liv had almost nothing but leftover takeout in her kitchen, he had to go shopping.

It was a slow day and the only cases they had were begun and shut within the day. Liv hoped and prayed to whoever was listening that it would remain a mundane boring day so she could get home to David. She wondered what he was going to make for dinner and how the night would go.

It was eight at night and she finally got off work. Liv headed out of the precinct and pulled out her phone and dialed David's number. It took a moment and he finally answered it.

"Hey, you. I'm here waiting. Dinner is pretty much done and everything's set. Are you done with work?" he inquired, pulling a lighter out to light the candles around the apartment.

"Yes. I'm leaving the building now so I'll see you soon," she answered. "So, what's for dinner?"

"You'll see when you get here. I'm leaving it a surprise. Just a hint: It's delicious and you'll love it. Come home," he told her.

"I am. See you soon," she answered and hung up.

David had set the food on the table and made sure everything was in place. All the candles were in place and the roses and rose petals were set up and the soft and slow jazz played on her stereo system. Everything had to be perfect for her.

She buzzed the door and he let her come up. He unlocked the door for her and waited. When Liv finally walked through the door, her jaw dropped at the scene before. The lights were off and there were candles everywhere, lighting the entire apartment with a soft sexy glow. She also noticed rose petals scattered everywhere: on the floor, scattered over pieces of furniture, and a slight trail leading to her bedroom where another glow emanated. Plus, there were bouquets of roses placed randomly around the living room. And then there was the aroma. It smelled like chicken and herbs and smelled like an Italian restaurant.

"Oh, my God! This is amazing, David. It looks like heaven," she exclaimed.

David smiled and moved behind her to close and lock the door. He slipped her coat off of her and set it and her stuff over a chair. "Go put the gun away, slip into something comfortable and come back here," David suggested and kissed the side of her head.

Liv looked back and smiled at him. "Okay," she stated and walked toward the bedroom. She got halfway into the room when she noticed that it matched the living room. Candles and flowers everywhere… and rose petals scattered everywhere. Olivia turned back and looked at David. "You're not proposing, are you?"

David paused in pouring the wine and looked up at her. "No, not right now. Maybe in the future, but not tonight. This is just for you… for us. A special night with, hopefully, no interruptions. Go change."

She turned back and shut the bedroom door and locked her gun away before undressing. Liv decided, because it seemed like a special night, she would get a little girly. She went into the bathroom and turned on the light. She saw unlit candles and more rose petals and the products for a nice, romantic bath. He was really turning this night into something special.

Liv turned to the mirror and played with her hair until it was sexy enough for her liking… and David's. He put a bit of lip gloss on and then left the bathroom to slip into a sexy black nightgown that hid the bad curves and showcased the good ones. It stopped mid-thigh and she slipped on a pair of black silk and lace panties and sexy black heels. Liv grabbed a long silk black robe that hung in her closet and put it on. She tied the sash and adjusted the opening enough to show off her legs and chest. The entire ensemble looked more like a slightly slutty idea of formal evening wear than bedroom attire. It was perfect.

Olivia opened her bedroom door and leaned up against the frame, waiting for David to notice her. He had been correcting the music on her stereo when he heard the door open. When he turned around, all was lost on him except the image of a goddess in black before him.

"Oh, wow!" was all David could come up with; words failing him at that moment.

She came up with her most husky sexy voice and said, "You wanted this night to be special, so…," she coyly played with the sash of the robe and moved her right leg enough to reveal more of it, "is this special enough for you?"

He moved from the stereo to stand before her. "You are amazing, you know that?" He tenderly cupped her face and passionately kissed her. Liv held onto his waist as the kiss went explosive.

When it was finished, both were breathless and somewhat surprised. Their passion for each other really was intense. Their foreheads touched as they waited for their breathing to return to normal.

"So, what's for dinner?" Liv finally asked,

"I made chicken parmesan with linguini. I know you like takeout, but I know you like Italian food and this is real," he answered.

She scoffed with a smile and playfully pushed him away. "Hey! What I make is real, too, you know? You've had my cooking. Tell me, it wasn't good stuff."

David pulled her close and led her toward the candlelit table for two. "Okay, okay. It is good stuff. You can cook real food. But, tonight, you will dine on something I've created. You'll love it." He held out her chair and gently pushed it in when she sat down. He sat down in the chair across from her.

Olivia watched him and got curious. "Are you sure you're not proposing? Because, seriously, this seems all too elaborate for special normal dinner. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but… this is something you do if you have something extra planned."

"No. Just a simple special dinner for the two of us. No proposals of any kind tonight. Just you and me, good food, hopefully no interruptions, dancing, dessert, a nice relaxing bath, romance, and talking," David explained.

"So long as I'm not the only one doing the talking. You got to tell me things, too, you know. If this is to be a romantic evening, you can't have me do all this talking about my past. It's emotionally draining and, believe me, it takes the buzz out of a perfectly good romance," Liv pointed out and began eating her chicken parmesan. The sudden burst of flavor in her mouth made her moan. "My God, this is amazing!"

"See, told you," David answered. They ate in silence for a while. "So, can I ask you a question?"

"And the talking begins, I see," she quipped and took a sip of her wine. "Go ahead."

"Well, I was making dinner and taking things out and putting things back in your fridge and I noticed something," he started.

"What?"

"Who is Calvin Benson? Is he your nephew or something?" he asked and watched Olivia freeze up. The drawing that was held up on the fridge with a magnet. The drawing of her dressed in uniform that Calvin had drawn for her just before he was taken away. The drawing that he had signed, using her last name as his. David watched her carefully and wondered if he should have asked about it. "Liv?"

She sighed and took another drink before looking straight at him. "Remember, that night we had drinks together and you asked me if I had kids? I said, I was just getting over something. A year ago, I was working a rape case. One of them was a woman who was dying. She was raped several years ago and then had a daughter. That daughter had issues with booze and pills. Long story short, she disappeared and decided to leave her son in my custody. His name is Calvin Arliss. He's now heading toward those teenage years. One day, a case came up and it involved Calvin's mother and her friend. The friend was arrested for murdering this guy but got off and, upon leaving the court building, was shot and killed by Calvin's father. Then, believing that I ruined her life, Calvin's mother convinced Calvin's father and Social Services that I shouldn't be allowed to take care of him anymore and took him away to live with his paternal grandparents in Vermont. Not long before he was taken away, he had given me that picture he had made in school. Me as a cop… and signed it using my last name as his because he said I rescued him."

The tears welled up in her eyes, remembering when Calvin had given it to her and told her look at how he signed it. For the first time in her life, she actually felt like a mother.

David watched her reaction. "So, now I get the part about it being emotionally draining."

Liv chuckled and wiped the tears away. "I told you so. You got to stop trying to make me cry, David; I thought you like me."

David responded with quiet chuckle. "I do and I'm not trying to make you cry. Is everything in your past so painful?"

"One word to describe the majority of my life: Tragedy. Bad things keep happening. There are good moments, too," she answered.

"One more possibly painful question. Do you want children of your own?"

Olivia looked him dead in the eyes and let the tears well up again. "More than anything in this world."

The couple had finished the rest of the dinner. He then brought Liv into the kitchen and pulled up two stools. Then, he pulled out two bowls of vanilla ice cream from freezer and set them on the counter in front of her. Then he grabbed the can of whipped cream and assorted toppings ranging from candy and cookie bits to granolas and nuts. Then the cherries and syrups and set them around the bowls and sat down next to her.

"After that 'emotionally draining' dinner, let's have a little indulgence," David suggested.

Liv grabbed the can of whipped cream and eyed him. "First you make me cry, then you decide you want to fatten me up. I thought this was supposed to be a special dinner. Can I rewind and say I would rather you propose to me?"

"Sorry, too late to take it back," he quipped. "Just indulge. Forget about everything and enjoy the ice cream."

"Okay, but only if I get to ask you about your past."

"Done. What do you want to know?"

Liv sprayed some whipped cream around the edge of her bowl before taking a handful of granola and sprinkling it on top. She thought for a moment about what question she should ask. A few cookie bits and M&Ms later, she found one to start off with. "What was your childhood like?"

"Not as tragic as yours. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. The only bad thing that ever happened was when we went on vacation to the Bahamas when I was ten. We were gone for a couple weeks and when we got back home, our house and few others on the block were completely wiped out by burglars. Everything was taken, including the furniture. Several very old family photos and jewelry were gone. And I had this really cool baseball card collection underneath an old floorboard in my room. They took that, too. We went to the cops and they were able to catch the guys and we only got about half our stuff back. Some furniture and other things but all the antique photos and jewelry and my cards were all gone. And then, when I was sixteen, my best friend had just purchased his beautiful black mustang he had been saving up for. Two weeks after he got it, it was frat week at the college that was a few blocks away from where he lived. A couple guys were drunk and driving around, and hit him as he was coming home from work. His would've been fine, except his car had spun around and slammed into a gas station pump. Before he was able to get out of the car, the thing exploded and killed him. The boys were charged and sentenced for… God, I think they're probably out now. There were several eyewitnesses that night that saw the whole thing."

Liv sat there holding the cherries she was planning on placing in her sundae. Before becoming a cop, the only bad things that happened to her were from her mother. No burglaries and no losing friends to drunk drivers. "I'm sorry, David."

"It's fine. The burglary thing… I got over that not long after it happened. Even losing my baseball cards. And, my best friend? I still miss him. When they were going through his things afterward, his parents gave me his record collection. He had a lot of both jazz and rock records that we spent listening to. The classics. But the rest of my childhood was great," he finished and started eating his loaded up sundae. He had decked it out in whipped cream, cookie bits and candy, and all the colorful sprinkles he had. Three cherries and chocolate syrup completed the whole thing.

Liv dropped her cherries on the sundae and added a little bit of strawberry syrup and chocolate syrup and started eating her dessert. "I can't tell which is worse: being robbed of everything and losing your best friend or living with an alcohol mother whose moods ran the gamut between alcoholic abuser and sober okay moments."

"At least we both survived it and came out okay, save for a few scars," David stated solemnly. They sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on things.

Then, to deflect the somber moment, Liv picked up the can of whipped cream and sprayed a bit onto David's nose and smiled. He was startled by her action after such a depressing moment, but quickly recovered and grabbed the can from her and went to spray some on her head, but Olivia moved back a little and the whipped topping ended up landing on part of her face and her upper chest. She giggled and went to grab the can from him but he moved it out of her reach and pulled her into him for a kiss.

The whipped cream from his nose made its way to her face and the cream on her chest was now smeared onto his shirt. But it was ignored as Olivia wrapped her arms around David's neck and deepened the kiss. David wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.

After, what seemed like an amazing forever, they separated but never let go. Liv noticed she had some of the whipped cream, from his nose, on her face, and the whipped cream that was on her chest had now stained his shirt. And her skin was feeling a bit sticky. She glanced at their half-eaten sundaes and saw they had somewhat melted. She looked back at him. "I think we can forgo the rest of dessert and probably the dancing. Your shirt's stained and this stuff is starting to feel sticky. I saw the candles and stuff in the bathroom. A nice, soothing and relaxing bath sounds nice."

David reluctantly detached himself from her and started to move away. "Okay, can you blow out the candles in here? Leaving the ones in the bedroom, though. It might take me awhile to fill up the tub, so if you want to put away the dessert stuff and the ice cream bowls, you can. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Okay. Don't make me wait too long," Liv replied coyly and gave him a seductive look.

"God, woman, you are going to kill me!" he exclaimed in his sexy voice and walked toward her bathroom.

Liv laughed and cleaned up the ice cream stuff and the mess from the whipped cream. She dumped the bowls into the sink, saving to clean them the next day, and started blowing out all the candles in the kitchen, on the dinner table, and all over the living room until the entire room was dark. She picked out one long-stem rose from a bouquet sitting on her coffee table and brought it to her nose as she headed slowly into her bedroom and sat on the bed. The bathroom door was closed and she heard the water still running to fill up the tub.

The rose smelled heavenly and the petals were silky against her cheek. She untied the robe and slid it off her body and tossed it over a chair, then kicked off the black heels and used her bare feet to push them under the bed. She lay back on the bed and felt the rose petals beneath her, caressing her skin. Olivia also noticed that this wasn't her normal bed sheet. It was white but it felt like satin. She sat up and took a closer glance around the room and saw a white box sitting on a chair by her closet door.

Liv still heard the water running, so she knew David was still busy, and she headed to the box and lifted the lid and pulled back the tissue paper. She lifted up a black silk and lace slip that looked like the one she was wearing now, but it looked only slightly shorter at the hem and with a lower cut to reveal more cleavage. And it came with a pair of black silk and lace boy shorts. Olivia smiled; David really knew how to treat her. She slipped out of her slip and the panties and put the new outfit on. She tossed her other stuff in the closet and closed the lid on the box and stood up to admire her new attire. Like the other one, it managed to hide the bad curves somehow and accentuate her good curves, with emphasis on the chest. It was a lower cut and revealed more than the other one, but it was a dream.

Suddenly, the sound of the water running was silenced. She headed toward the bathroom door. "Are you ready, yet?"

"Just about. You can come in, now," came a muffled reply. She opened the bathroom door to see David standing there in a white cotton robe. The candles were lit and placed in places that made the whole room light up in a warm glow. The scent that filled the air was heavenly and she couldn't figure out if it was from the candles or the bubble bath before her. And, the rose petals were everywhere, including on the tub, some of them held aloft by the suds. Then, she noticed David staring at her.

"I saw what you bought me. I love it!" she responded in a sexy voice of her own. It didn't sound as sexy as David's but it worked enough to make him react.

"Nice try on the voice. Yeah, I bought this for you, and I never expected it to look this good. Wow!" he exclaimed.

"Well, it's kind of like the one I was just wearing, only this one is shorter - top and bottom - and it came with shorts. It fits like the other one," Liv explained. "Thank you, David."

"You're welcome, Liv," David responded. "Now, as much as I would like to see you in your present, I'd much rather see you out of it… and in the tub… for now. And, you don't need to be self-conscious about me seeing your body. Remember, I love the way you are… and, I've already seen you naked. In the bathroom with the lights…"

"…With water spraying down on us so we kind of had to close our eyes," Liv finished.

"You did. I couldn't stop staring at you."

She smiled and sighed. "Stop being so perfect."

"Never going to happen," he replied and moved to her. "Now, let's get undressed and into the tub before the water turns cold."

"Okay."

David helped undress her before shedding his robe and shorts. He stepped into the tub and sat back. Liv followed and sat down and leaned back against his body. She picked up some bubbles with her hand and blew at them, sending them into the air before landing back on the mountain of bubbles.

"These bubbles are insane. It's like a mountain; I can't see the other end of the tub," she pointed out.

"Don't need to. The bubbles will disappear in time," he told her. They then sat in silence for a while, just relaxing in the hot water.

Liv tilted her head up and noticed David had dried whipped cream still on his face so she reached behind him and grabbed a small bath sponge and put a little bit of soap on it and dipped it in the water and brought it back up. She sat up and turned her body a little bit and ran the sponge over David's face, cleaning off the whipped cream.

When she was done, David took the sponge from her. He touched it to her face and cleaned off the whipped cream stains. "Now, turn out and lean back against me," he told her gently. Liv did as told and settled back into him. David added a little bit more soap to the small sponge and dipped it in the water then touched it to her chest, where the whipped cream had landed and rubbed around, clearing her skin of the sticky dessert topping.

Liv loved the feel of him moving the soft sponge over her upper chest. It was soothing, yet, such a turn-on. David moved it slowly over her shoulders and neck.

He sensed her desire and moved the sponge back onto the ledge where Liv had picked it up. David moved his hands up and down her arms, caressing them. She tilted her head back and moved to kiss him.

It went from tender and loving to sultry and intense in seconds. Liv moved to turn around and straddle him. The kisses were heated and they had their hands running all over each other. David reached for her hips and moved her closer to him. She smiled.

They made love in the tub until the water grew cold. They stepped out of the tub and wrapped themselves in towels and David drained the tub. He helped dry out the tips of her hair that had touched the water; she helped dry his hair that had gotten wet from her fingers running through it.

Once they were dry, the pair moved to the bedroom and onto Liv's satin-covered bed. They abandoned the towels and rolled around on the bed, just making out, tangling themselves within the satin sheet. Rose petals went flying as the sheet became more and more tangled until the couple settled comfortable under it, with the remaining petals still lingering in places.

While they had been blow-drying in the bathroom, they had used the dryer to blow the candles out so darkness poured out from the doorway. In the bedroom, the candles remained, however melted, and gave the room and soft glow that gleamed off of the white satin.

"David, this was perfect; the entire night was amazing. Thank you," Liv told him in between kisses.

"You're welcome. You put up with so much stuff at work; I wanted to give you a night that was just about relaxing… except for the part where things got emotional. I wanted to treat you to something different," David replied.

"You've been treating me since our weekend together. I love it. It has been so long since I've had something like this. David, you got to know something… I don't date very often, if at all. So, to have you; to have this... thank you, again," she explained to him and moved her body from his side to on top of him. "And, I don't mind the emotional part. We learn things about each other; I like that. Just as long as the emotions don't take over the whole night, I'm fine."

"Good," he responded and they began making out again and running their hands all over each other. Finally, a thought passed into his head. "You know, we never got to dance. I had the music all set up."

"That's okay; maybe some other time. For now, I've got a different kind of dancing planned," Liv stated and moved her body hard against his. They made love for hours, leaving the candles to burn out by themselves.

Before falling asleep in the darkness, Liv knew there would come a moment where she would have to tell David some of her biggest secrets: Elliot Stabler and Lowell Harris and Sealview. She didn't know how he would take hearing about one of the most important people of her life. If he cared about her at all, she hoped he would react with slight jealousy but be okay with it… and maybe hate Elliot, just a little, for leaving behind a hurt and broken Olivia. Liv didn't even want to think about how David would react about Lowell Harris and Sealview. Hell, she didn't even like to think about it.

It had taken place about a half-decade ago, but there were times when it felt like it was more recently. Every now and then, she would have a nightmare, or see his face in a dream and wake up sweating. Liv had recovered from her PTSD a long time ago, but it was something that no amount of therapy and time would ever make her forget. She just hoped that David wouldn't treat her any different once he found out. She knew she was pretty much in love with the guy asleep next to her, and hoped and prayed that it would last. It had to… she deserved this.

END NOTE: I don't know if I plan on having Liv tell David about her sexual assault. Maybe the Elliot Stabler saga, sure, but… given the time they were together; I may or may not write it in before they split.

This storyline pretty much is taking place between "Hunting Ground" and "Justice Denied" where the couple broke up.

Never wanted them to break up. They should bring him back.


End file.
